The sample film strips on the left are shown much larger than actual to help distinguish the difference between Regular and Super 8mm.

The film's sprocket holes determine the film type.

The holes in Regular 8mm film are larger and almost square, whereas the holes in Super 8mm are elongated.

with sound

with sound

Super 8mm
Film

silent

with sound

with sound

On the left is the common 50 foot reel of Regular 8mm film.

The hole in the center of a reel of Regular 8 is smaller than the hole in the center of a Super 8 reel. One cannot fit their finger in the center hole of a Regular 8 reel whereas, usually, one can in a Super 8 reel.

The film lengths can often be determined by the visual indicators on each film reel -- see image. Common small reels (approx. 3" or 7 1/2 cm diameter) are about 3 1/2 minutes total running time.

How to recognize if film is silent or has sound

Only films that have magnetic band(s) have the capability of having sound recorded onto them. Simply having a magnetic band on a film does not mean the film definitively has sound. It could still be silent if no sound was ever recorded onto it.

Silent (no bands)

Super-8

Normal 8

With one, or two, Magnetic Bands

Super-8

Super-8

Normal 8

Normal 8

Is your film shot at 18 or 24 frames per second?

Most Super-8 films were shot at 18 frames per second, and most Normal-8 films were shot at 16 frames per second.

Very few films were shot at 24 frames per second and usually only a trained projectionist can determine the speed at which a film was shot.

silent

Reel Type

8mm Film

Super 8 Film

Super 8 Film

silent

at 16.67 frames/second

at 18 frames/second

at 24 frames/second

50 feet(15 meters)

4 min

3.5 min

2.5 min

200 feet(60 meters)

15 min

13 min

10 min

300 feet(90 meters)

22 min

20 min

15 min

400 feet(120 meters)

30 min

26 min

20 min

600 feet(180 meters)

44 min

40 min

30 min

830 feet(250 meters)

-

55 min

42 min

with sound

Reel Type

8mm Film

Super 8 Film

Super 8 Film

(with sound)

at 16.67 frames/second

at 18 frames/second

at 24 frames/second

50 feet(15 meters)

-

3.5 min

2.5 min

200 feet(60 meters)

12 min

11 min

8 min

300 feet(90 meters)

18 min

16 min

12 min

400 feet(120 meters)

24 min

21 min

16 min

600 feet(180 meters)

35 min

32 min

24 min

830 feet(250 meters)

-

43 min

33 min

Recognizing the difference between Super-8 and Normal-8

Normal 8 film has larger perforations at the edges of the film than does Super-8 film. In Normal 8, the holes are almost square. In Super-8, the holes are elongated and narrow. The film spools are also different. In Normal 8, the center hole of the film spool is smaller than the center hole of the Super-8 spool. In Normal-8, the center hole measures approximately 8 mm. In Super-8, it measures approximately 13 mm.